Outside Observations
by brokenroots
Summary: Sometimes it's only clear from the outside.
1. About Him

**Outside Observations  
><strong>**Word Count**: 2,524  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Nico/Dani, Dani/Matt, reference to past Dani/JD  
><strong>Spoilers:<strong> up to 1x12.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I don't own anything. I just break things.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Sometimes it's only clear from the outside.  
><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I had this thought nagging at me for a while, and though I'm not a big fan of JD, in the end, he did right by Dani, and so I started thinking about if he came back what that might be like, what he might expect/do, and this was what I ended up with. I thought it would be three scenes, but it didn't quite end there, so... there is a second part. I'm just evil enough to let this one end here. :)

* * *

><p><strong>About Him<strong>

"Do you have a moment?"

At the knock, Careles looked up from his desk and frowned a little. JD wasn't surprised to get the frown. He knew that the other man probably thought he'd never see JD's face again. He wouldn't blame him, not for a second. JD had gone to Africa not knowing when he'd come back, and he'd left everything—and everyone—here behind. He had someone in mind that he wanted to see, but he had figured there was a stop he should make first. "Doctor Aldridge? What brings you by here?"

"I was back in town, just finished my new book. Thought I'd offer you a free copy. Signed," JD said, handing it over to him. The advance copies weren't even ready to go out yet, but he'd bullied his publisher into giving him two copies, one of which he'd already handed over. The other one would wait a little bit longer. "I'll personalize it if you want."

"That won't be necessary," the head of security assured him, taking the book. He opened it, saw the signature, and set it down. "Thank you. This was... thoughtful of you."

JD shrugged. "I figured I owed it to the man who actually read my other book."

"And if I confess that I found the Cliff Notes version?" Careles asked, opening the bottom drawer of his desk and taking something out of it. JD couldn't get a look at what it was, but he supposed that really didn't matter.

"Unfortunately for you, there never was one," JD told him. The idea of his books ever being popular enough to get a Cliff Notes version made or even a study guide was unlikely, but he was flattered all the same. "You actually had to read it."

"I spend a lot of time waiting. It gives me time to read."

"But not enough time to sleep?"

The other man didn't answer. He rose from his desk, picked up the book and then his coat. "Again, thank you for the book. I will let you know what I thought of it."

JD smiled, walking out with him. He didn't have any idea where Dani's office was, and he'd been meaning to ask. It looked like now was the time. Careles was headed out, and JD wasn't stupid enough to try and make him stay. "Is Dani—Doctor Santino here?"

The question stopped Careles for a moment. "Yes, I believe she is. If you wish to see her, though, perhaps you should make an appointment."

"An appointment?" JD repeated, and then he heard the sound of Dani's laughter coming down the hallway. He could wait. If she was coming, there was no reason to make an appointment. He was patient. Then he frowned and turned to the head of security again. "Is there some reason why I shouldn't be here? Something I should know? A reason you don't want me around?"

Careles frowned. "I have no reason to disallow your presence."

JD gave the man an odd look, but his attention was quickly drawn to the couple coming around the corner. Dani was leaning on the arm of the _friend _she'd introduced him to last time he was here. Oh. So that was why Careles suggested he have an appointment.

"JD," Dani began as she caught sight of him. She smiled warmly. "What are you doing here? Wow, it is so good to see you."

She came over and hugged him, and he saw the frown on the other man's face, the trainer. So, that one was the jealous type, was he? "I'm back with my new book. They want me to do a tour this time. I don't know about that, but I just gave your friend a copy of it."

"Really?" Dani asked, stepping back from JD to look at the head of security.

"I even got an autograph, Doctor Santino. I had better take care of it. It could be worth something someday," Careles said, holding up his copy. "Thanks again, Doctor Aldridge. Good evening. A pleasure to see you again."

JD nodded, watching the other man leave thinking that whole exchange was more than a little awkward. Dani was frowning, too, and she didn't look happy that Careles had already gone. Things were strained there. JD had a few ideas as to why, too. He turned back to Dani. "I just thought that I'd ask you if you'd be interested in a cup of coffee with a friend, put up with a few of my stories about Africa, catch me up on everything that has happened in your life?"

"Of course. Let me call you," she agreed with a smile. The trainer put his arm on her back and led her forward, toward the door.

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you were able to meet me for coffee."<p>

Dani smiled, turning her cup over. It was nice to be able to talk with JD again, and without any awkwardness of an unfulfilled tension or awkward dating—that was even better. She was enjoying herself. It had been a pleasant morning so far, and she didn't have any patient appointments until the afternoon. It was a good day to meet, plenty of time to talk. "No, I'm glad. I loved the stories. Thank you for telling me them. And for the copy of the book."

"Well, who else is going to want it, right?" JD joked, shaking his head as he looked at the picture on the back. "Terrible picture. I look like I ate rotten fruit or something."

She laughed. "It's not that bad. And you gave one to Nico, right? He did seem... happy to get it."

"Honestly, I figured I'd better give him a copy and make sure I wasn't in any trouble with him for leaving before I asked you to coffee."

She shook her head. "We parted on good terms, JD. It was fine. We both knew it couldn't last. Nico never threatened you after you were gone."

"I find that surprising."

Dani frowned. "What? Why? Nico's not evil. He's cautious. Paranoid. But not a killer and not a vicious man. He did ask, in the vaguest terms, if I was okay the day after you left, but other than that, not a word. You're being way too paranoid yourself."

JD shook his head. "I don't think so. You didn't see what I saw."

Dani didn't like the sound of that. She set down her cup and put her hands on the table. "What do you mean? Did Nico visit you? Did he threaten you when I wasn't there? Why didn't you tell me? I don't know why you would think that I would be okay with it or put up with it? I will go over there right now and tell Nico he is never to interfere in my personal life again. I'll quit the Hawks if that's what it takes. I can't believe this. I thought we were friends."

"You and me?"

"No, me and Nico. He shared something with me that... Never mind. Clearly he has a different definition of friendship than I do if he went behind my back and threatened you."

JD shook his head again. "I was never threatened, Dani."

"Then... what?"

He put a hand over hers. "I didn't have an illusions as to what I'd find when I got back. I knew you would move on without me, and I knew it would be someone from the Hawks. That was where your life was, and I wasn't a part of it. I couldn't be. I wasn't ready to be tied down to one place. You are. You're needed here. I knew that then, and I still know it now."

She forced a smile. "It was nice, between us. I'm glad we were able to stay friends."

"Me, too," JD agreed. He picked up his coffee cup. "You've heard most of my stories already. Why don't we talk about you for a while? How is life with the Hawks treating you? How are your patients? Your children?"

"One thing at a time," Dani said with a laugh. "First, you know I can't talk about my patients. Second, Ray Jay and Lindsay are good. They're with their father right now, and so far the custody arrangements have been working out. The divorce has been final for a while now. It was a bit rocky right after the papers, but we're back to our usual level of chaos. Third, things are good with the Hawks. It's been a little rough since TK got shot, but he's recovering now. He's in rehab, and he hates it. He's always complaining, but that's typical TK. He's... a lot better. I think it helped, in an odd way. Being shot showed him how much everyone really cared about him, and that meant a lot to him."

"No stories? Tell me how TK got shot, at least."

"I don't know all of the details. It happened at a club, a fan from the other team just... lost it and pulled out a gun. It was right after a big playoff game. Most people consider that the reason that the Hawks didn't win the conference this year—because TK got shot," Dani said, picking up her coffee again. "TK says he'll get them next year, and he's bound and determined to prove it. When are you going to ask about the elephant in the room?"

"You have an elephant? I thought I knew what those looked like."

She shook her head. "You know what I mean, JD. You wanted to ask about Matt, didn't you?"

"I'm not jealous, if that's what you're asking. I'd like to be. You're a beautiful woman. But I had my chance. It's over. I am a big enough man to accept that. The only thing I am, really, is surprised."

"Surprised? You just got through telling me I was beautiful. You said you knew I'd move on with someone from the Hawks. Why would you be surprised that I'm with Matt?"

"Because I saw the way that someone else looked at you. Someone who called you an impact player and interrupted our dinner. Someone who read my book to make sure that the guy you were eating with was a good man. Someone who shared things with you and you called a friend. Someone who has an issue with you being with this Matt guy."

Dani frowned, shaking her head again. "Nico? You're kidding. He doesn't—"

"He does, Dani. He might not even know it yet, but he does. Take it from someone who's on the outside. I can see what the rest of you can't," JD told her. He finished his coffee. "I didn't tell you that to make you uncomfortable. Maybe if you confront the issue, you two can work together again because I also noticed some... tension there."

Dani had to admit, she'd picked up on that herself, but she figured that Nico was just stressed. He'd taken the brunt of things after TK got shot, and the fallout from the Pittman divorce was almost as ugly. He had every reason to be tired, snappish, and keep himself at a distance from everyone despite her best efforts. "Thank you, JD."

"What are friends for?"

* * *

><p>"Nico, do you have a minute?"<p>

"At the moment... No," Nico answered, taking a deep breath. He shut the drawer and picked up his coat. He was on his way out before she arrived, and she should have been able to see that. "I have to handle a situation right now, so if you would excuse me, Doctor Santino...?"

"Can I walk with you?" she asked, and he frowned at her. He didn't know what was bringing this on. Perhaps Aldridge was more of a problem than he'd thought. The man was supposed to be on his book tour, heading across the country for a series of signings and promotional events, though he could have chosen to stay behind or he could have been harassing her over the phone.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly."

"Not exactly," he repeated, giving her a look. "That does not sound... convincing. What is going on? Did something happen with Aldridge? If he has done anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or would fall under the term harassment, I can assign a protection detail and—"

"JD didn't do anything. I would tell you if he had, but he didn't. And he funny enough, he defended you when I thought you had threatened him."

Nico frowned. "He... defended me? I didn't get the impression that he thought much of me, despite his invitation to join you both for drinks. The book was a nice gesture, but I think that he might have been just intimidated enough to make sure I wasn't planning on doing anything to him on his return."

"Would you have?"

"I protect my assets, as I told you before," Nico reminded her. "If Aldridge had done something, I would have intervened, if it was necessary. If it's not, then perhaps you will tell me what is troubling you, because we're almost to the parking lot, and I do have to leave."

She hesitated for a moment. "It's... This is probably nothing, but JD brought it up, and I don't know. I'd noticed that things were a little odd between us lately, and I thought I'd ask you about it because... I don't know. I guess I wanted to know if there was a reason for the distance or tension or whatever it is between us."

"I am busy. You're busy. That's all. There has been a lot of pressure since Terrence was shot, and though things have settled a little, that has not really abated. You would say that we're all suffering from delayed stress syndrome, some post-traumatic stress after the shooting. It affected everyone and then on its heels came the divorce and the ownership shake up that everyone's still feeling."

"Yeah," she whispered.

He stopped, touching her arm. "What is it? I know that it wasn't easy with the team changing hands like it did—from Pittman to his wife to some foreign holding company that turned out to belong to Marshall after all—but I had thought that the dust was...settling."

"Oh, Nico, if it was only that, it would be simple, really," she began. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking stressed. "Promise me that you won't... laugh or overreact or anything if I ask this, please."

"I can't do that. Without knowing what you're going to ask me, I can't predict my reaction."

She sighed. "You couldn't make this any easier, could you?"

"Apparently not, though I'm not sure what you're really asking of me or wanting or why this is so difficult," he said, frowning. "Whatever it is, perhaps you should just _say _what it is. It can be dealt with after that point."

"Or it can make this rift between us even wider."

"Also true, but until you say what it is, there is nothing that can be done about it."

"JD... made some observations."

"And?"

"He thinks you're in love with me."


	2. About Her

**Outside Observations  
><strong>**Word Count**: 3,150  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Nico/Dani, Dani/Matt, reference to past Dani/JD  
><strong>Spoilers:<strong> up to 1x12.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I don't own anything. I just break things.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Sometimes it's only clear from the outside.  
><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I really like the way this one turned out. And six scenes... six is such a nice, even number. :)

* * *

><p><strong>About Her<strong>

"Now what exactly would he base that on, Doctor Santino? The man does not know me," Nico countered, and she almost lost control of her rolling stomach. She hadn't realized how worked up she'd gotten until he denied JD's allegations and nearly threw up. She hadn't really thought that Nico would just... _admit _to that, did she? She should have known that he wouldn't. He didn't. He didn't feel that way about her. She had already told JD that. "He does not have a basis for his observations."

"The way you interrupted dinner. The way you checked up on him. The way you confided in me. The way that you don't like my relationship with Matt."

"How would he know that I confided in you?"

"Uh... I may have let that slip in my babbling—but I did _not _tell him what you confided, just that you had," Dani quickly assured him. He nodded, still uncomfortable with the idea.

"If I were you, I would have been more concerned if he had observed that _you _were in love with me," Nico went on. "He has had far longer to observe you than he has me. And now I really should be going."

"Wait," she called as Nico turned to leave. "This isn't going to make the... awkwardness worse, is it? Me asking you about that?"

He shook his head and got in his car. She watched him leave, biting her lip. She couldn't believe she'd asked him that. Well, not asked, but... Still. She'd wanted to know if he was in love with her. Not that she'd expected him to really answer her, but the evasion... It wasn't enough. Nico didn't lie, so why hadn't he just said _no? _

And why did she suddenly feel the need to call JD and ask him what he thought of Nico's counter? Was _she _in love with Nico? Did JD think that? He hadn't said anything about her feelings, but that didn't necessarily mean that he hadn't observed them. Why would he have been so convinced that she'd be with Nico if all he'd seen was from Nico's side?

She shook her head. What did it even matter? She was with Matt. They were happy. Things were good. She didn't need to go making problems where there weren't any before. The slight distance had been a bit awkward, but this was only going to make things worse. She couldn't believe she'd done it. What, she couldn't resist the curiosity? She couldn't leave well enough alone? Matt wasn't enough? She had to have Nico, too?

She shook her head. She didn't know what she was doing, but she had to stop herself before she made things even worse than they already were. She didn't need to push this any further. She'd asked. He'd... answered, as much as Nico ever answered, and it was done. Over. That was it.

She dug her phone out of her purse, bringing up JD's number and staring at it for a moment. He couldn't tell her how she really felt. She had to figure that out for herself. She was not going to call. The whole thing was stupid. She was done.

"Hey," a voice called from behind her, and she turned around to face Matt. He grinned at her. "I was looking for you. Do you have any idea how lifeless this place seems without you? You shouldn't take days off—unless you're going to spend them with me."

She forced a smile as he wrapped his arms around her. She hoped that he wouldn't ask her what she was doing out here or how her conversation with JD had gone the other day or anything like that. She was so mixed up right now, and she didn't know what to think. She just wanted to forget what JD had told her. That would be the simplest solution. Easy. Convenient.

"It's not a day off. I was working from home," Dani said, sighing. "And I should get back to that. It's—I just came for something from my office, and really, I'm done, I... Uh... Sorry, Matt. I guess I'm just a little distracted. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Does this mean that dinner is off?"

"Dinner?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You. Me. Plans. I made them with you a couple days ago—before Aldridge came back. I told you I had something to tell you."

She nodded, remembering the plans now. Another flash of clarity came to her a second later. "You... took the job in San Francisco, didn't you?"

"Well, I... Not yet. That's why I wanted to talk to you."

* * *

><p>"I don't know what to do."<p>

JD smiled as he opened the curtains and looked out at his surroundings. The publisher had come through with her promise of a room with a view, and he was going to enjoy spending the next week here, even if he didn't really care for the signings or the talk shows. He wasn't big enough to be on television, at least, but he didn't think he did that good with his message on the radio. He should have been a better public speaker after all that time in the classroom, but the radio was different somehow. He shook his head. At least now that he had a soothing view, he could focus on the conversation again.

"What do you mean, you don't know what to do?"

"I think Matt wants me to help him make the final decision about going to San Francisco, and I think I made Nico very uncomfortable when I brought up the whole 'you're in love with me' conversation," Dani began, and JD recognized the tone of her voice. She was nervous. Worked up. Maybe even a little panicked. "Not that he is. Well, _maybe _he is. He didn't answer me directly—and he doesn't do that often, so it's not like that's proof or anything—but he doesn't lie, either, so the fact that he chose not to answer could be an answer in of itself. I don't _know. _It's not bad enough that I actually brought that up to him and now I'm even more confused about it than I was before, but I'm pretty sure that Matt wants me to tell him whether or not he should go to San Francisco, meaning that he wants... commitment. I thought I knew how I felt, and I... don't."

JD studied the window, looking out at the city. "Did you call me for answers?"

"For clarity," she said, and he swore he could hear the slap of her hand to her forehead. "I can't believe I just said that. It's... Not that I can tell you what that was about, but it... Nico came to me for clarity, and now I'm doing it, and—Damn it."

"You need to relax," JD told her. "Take a breath. And another. Keep doing that. Don't talk for a few minutes. I'm a friend. I can help you with your clarity, if that's what you need. I'm here to listen if that's what you need. I'll even tell you what I think, if you want."

"You telling me what you thought is half the reason I'm in this mess."

JD laughed. "I hate to break it to you, Dani, but the whole triangle between you and those two developed long before I was even in the picture. Careles and your friend Matt both showed signs of interest back when I was around, and they didn't suddenly start because I was there."

"Oh." She took a deep breath. "Matt, yes, I definitely knew he was interested. It's this Nico thing. It's so out of left-field that I am having trouble wrapping my head around it."

"But it's not out of left-field. The signs were there before. It's only that you didn't see them."

"Why didn't I? I have the same training that you do."

"Maybe because you didn't want to," JD suggested. He crossed back over to the minibar and took out a drink. This was going to be ridiculously expensive, but he wanted to have the best time that he could while he was on this trip. It might never happen again. "Careles is distant. He's a puzzle. That interested you, I think, but he doesn't come off as warm and friendly, and you could rely on him to keep a certain level of distance between the two of you. You could see him as a colleague, but the idea of being with someone who's a puzzle is kind of frightening to a person who likes to understand people. The less you know, the more it irritates you. The more you figure out, the happier you are. He has the potential to make you... very happy."

"'Cause of a puzzle?"

"More than that, but leave it at the puzzle if you want," JD said. He opened the bottle and took a sip. "Let's go back to the San Francisco thing. Are you willing to go there?"

"I can't go there any more than I could go to Africa."

"And Matt knows this?"

"I... think so."

"It's his decision, but if he wants that job, he has to let go of you. It's a good position?"

"A promotion."

"Then it's good for him. Not for you. Still, if he wants to advance his career, he will probably end up leaving. Life in a professional athletic career is not really about staying in one place. It's subject to a lot of... factors, and it's not the most stable of career choices, even as a coach. If your man can't pull off a win, they might fire him."

"Right after everyone packed up and moved."

"Pretty much."

"Nico works for the Hawks, too."

"Completely different field, though. Security is a lot more stable a job market. People may not think they can afford to protect what they've got, but if they don't, they pay a lot more. Plus, if he's got training, then he would probably be able to transition to something else easier than an athlete."

"Matt's a trainer."

JD nodded. "I know. And he could get a job as a personal trainer for someone other than the team. That's a possibility, too, but that doesn't change where your life is. That you're needed where you are. That your children are there. You're established. You have roots. You need them. They're what you want. If he can't be tied down, then... he has the same decision to make as I did. I knew I couldn't stay, so I left. I would have wanted more, but I'm not the one that stays."

"Right."

"You're upset because you think Matt is the type to leave, too, aren't you?"

She sighed. "He should go. It's better for him. He'd only be staying for me, and... I'm not enough. I don't want to be the one that holds him back. If he really wants this, then... I can let him go. I didn't think I could, but I can. It's the right thing to do."

"I think you found your clarity," JD said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. He didn't know if she'd want to go into the rest of it, and maybe it wasn't the time. She needed to process what she'd just realized, and then she could face the next issue. "Dani?"

"You're right," she agreed. "At least there I'm clear. Thank you, JD."

* * *

><p>Nico knocked on the door, stopping to pull on his scarf. It must have bunched up on him when he was driving or something. He hadn't noticed until now, but it was irritating now that he had. He looked up when he heard the footsteps getting closer and let the scarf go. The door opened, and Santino forced one of her late night smiles for him—the ones that were tired but polite and always asked why he was there.<p>

"Nico."

"I know it's late."

"And you felt that you had to stop anyway?"

He probably could have waited to speak to her. A part of him said that this conversation never needed to happen. The other part of him knew that he would not have said anything if he'd allowed himself time to talk himself out of it. So, he hadn't. He'd finished what he was doing and gone to her house. In retrospect, he did not agree with the decision. "At the time, yes."

She frowned a little, then shook her head. "Come inside. I don't want to do this on the porch, whatever it is. You want some tea or something?"

He shook his head. "I don't need anything, thank you."

"I'm making tea for me. It's not an inconvenience," she muttered, walking into the kitchen and leaving him no choice but to follow her. He entered the room and looked around. He hadn't actually been in this room before—her office, the foyer, and the porch were where he usually stayed. He wasn't really comfortable in people's homes. He was not really a person that belonged in one, no matter what the situation was. "So I think I'll make you one anyway."

"I don't need it, Doctor Santino."

She set the kettle on the stove and turned to look at him. "Why am I always 'Doctor Santino' to you? At least now? I _know _you called me Dani at least once, but now it's always 'Doctor Santino.'"

He nodded. He knew why he'd done that, and he knew that he should explain, but it was all a part of the same conversation, really. "I did you a disservice."

"By calling me by my formal title?"

He shook his head. "No. Not that. I... misdirected you when you deserved a true answer, and that is a disservice because you are... a friend."

She smiled a little and then turned to reach for a box of tea. It was up on a shelf that was just far enough above her head to force her to strain even on the tips of her toes. He crossed over and took it down for her, handing it to her. She looked at it and smiled again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"You can tell I don't make tea that often. I think that box has been up there since Ray left."

"It could have been because you're normally wearing rather high and impractical shoes," he told her, and she laughed as she opened the box. "Is it out of concern for fashion? Do you enjoy the styles so much that you would rather risk injury to your ankles or is it because you feel the need to level the playing field with so many tall men around you almost constantly?"

"Are you analyzing me now, Nico?"

"A little. It was a matter of curiosity, mostly."

"Not to dissuade you from being curious, not necessarily, but... why are we having a conversation that seems almost mundane when you showed up late at my house? Isn't this supposed to be some kind of emergency? Because if it's not, I might have to kick you out and go back to my very warm bed."

"I can go, if you want."

She shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I would like to know why you came, though."

He wasn't really ready to talk about the main reason, so he selected one of the others. "I heard that Donnally took the job in San Francisco."

"Yes. I told him to."

Nico was surprised. "You did?"

"I guess I'm the type of woman who stays when the men need to leave. I couldn't hold him back, and I couldn't go with him, so... I let him go," she explained. She sighed and took out two cups from the cupboard. "It's not that bad. I'm not heartbroken. It's... easier than with Ray. With JD. I guess I'm getting practice at it."

Nico didn't like that, not for a second. He covered her hand over the cup. "You shouldn't have to have practice. Men who leave a woman because she has roots are lacking something in themselves. Maybe they were meant to be alone, they fly better solo or they need someone who wants to travel with them, but that doesn't give them the right to hurt the ones who want to nest. He should have been up front with you from the beginning."

"Not everyone is like you, Nico," she told him, shaking her head. "Not everyone is that honest. Or knows themselves that well. I don't think that Matt had any idea that he was the leaving type, and he _wanted _to stay. I couldn't let him. That's different."

Nico let go of her hand. "It is."

She caught his arm. "What did you really come here for?"

"To apologize and explain the disservice," he answered, not sure that he could actually do that, not now. He did not want to, that much was for sure. If he did not finish this conversation, then things would remain as they were. That was for the best. He should excuse himself and leave. That, however, would make him yet another man who left when she stayed. "I should not have deflected that comment onto you. It was an unfair accusation, one that I should not have made, whatever the level of discomfort I might have had with the subject matter. It was not right to put that on you."

"Well," she said, smiling up at him. "That proves it."

"What?"

"That you are capable of apologizing."

He laughed, nodding. "Yes, I am. I hope that was sufficient enough for your satisfaction."

"Well," she began. He looked at her. Her smile went from shy to devious, more of a smirk now. "I'd like it to be, really, and maybe it _should_ be. I shouldn't put you in this position, Nico, but you're honest. You're so honest that it makes me wonder _why _you didn't say anything outright. If you didn't feel anything, you'd just say that you didn't, right? A simple, 'I'm not in love with you, Dani.' I mean, 'Doctor Santino.'"

He took a breath. "It... is not that simple. After so long being entangled with Gabriella, I could not say what my feelings truly are."

Santino blinked. "Did you just... admit to feeling something? I thought the idea was to admit nothing and deny everything."

"I don't lie."

"Then evade everything."

"That is more my style," he agreed, smiling a little. He reached over and turned off the burner before the kettle could start to whistle. "In the interest of evasion, perhaps I should go."

"Please," she said quietly, looking more vulnerable than he had ever seen her before, "don't."

"Well," he began, turning back to the stove. "You did go to all the trouble of making me some tea, so I should at least stay and drink it, shouldn't I?"

"At least."


End file.
